Class of '60
October 2006

Dear Classmates,

I thought I might be watching Minnesota Twins today in playoffs, but the magic wore off and the wine has turned back to water. So, to give myself a boost, I am going to write to you all. As I bring your faces to mind, a smile comes to my face. Thanks. I need this!

The first smile is when I think of Karen Olson and Karen Olson Brown, neither of whom called or wrote to correct the class letter last time that said “Karen Olson Brown is retired in Austin.” No, it is Karen Olson who is retired there. The writer of this newsletter had it correct, but an efficient alumni office person double checked, forgot we had two Karen Olson’s and thought I meant Karen Olson Brown and made the “correction.” She apologizes. Now, the fact that I heard from not one of you about that may indicate nobody reads this? Nah…..

Now, on to current news.

Mark ’58 and Anne Kilty Wiberg are in Des Plaines, Illinois. Anne writes of enjoying retirement, especially involved with grandsons Hayden and Daniel. Anne is volunteering in Chicago for the Performing Arts.

Martha Jonson Miller just might be cruising the Greek Isles as I write this. She took a similar cruise to the Western Caribbean in March. She is a grandmother to “three of the cutest boys in Minnesota.”

Jackie McKenna Gimse and Mac also should be “on the road” again this month―this time to India. They are leading a three week tour for St. Olaf. They are busy with seven grandchildren―all who live in the area! Jackie also reports a nephew who is at Gustavus and loving it.

Last spring, Nancy Dege Gerhard and husband, Rick, did a 21 day tour of China. “It was an exhilarating and exhausting trip which gave us new insights into Chinese culture, history and the dichotomous present.”

Yes, this class is TRAVELING and learning. Jo Jensen Tollefson traveled with her church group to Tanzania, Africa in January. She reports that Gustavus nursing students had been at the hospital Jo and group visited. The Gusties were working there as part of a January term experience. “The hospital administration was very impressed with the students,” writes Jo. She completed the parish nursery course at Concordia College. She and Dean spent the summer in Crosslake in the Whitefish chain.

Jim Olson writes, “Nothing much has changed for me, still volunteering at the Minnesota Historical Society. He toured Russia and Estonia in July and spent 2.5 weeks camping in Finland. Enjoying life in the Twin Cities and ten grandchildren (soon to be 12). Wow, many blessings.” Jim also serves as clerk of session for the Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul and has been a ruling elder for several years.

I am writing this note about Jule Carlson Cameron the day after Penn State beat the Gophers in Minneapolis by one point in overtime…a heartbreaker for the Gophers. Expect no tears from Jule who is a long-time State College resident and fan of Penn State. Jule and husband have done a fair bit of traveling―Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This year they will head to Sweden to visit relatives. Jule also likes being called by current Gustavus students, “It has been great to talk to the young people from Gustavus that have called me over the years. They have been a real plus for Gustavus and the campaign for funds.” Amen.

Rosemarie Anderson Kohler, retired nurse, spends her time volunteering at a senior center and playing golf. They live in Vista, California.

Roger and Nita (Swanson ’61) Anderson have also been globe trotting. After trips last year to Alaska and Mexico they just returned from Norway and Sweden where they attended the wedding of an AFS student who lived with them 20 years ago. They returned just in time for Nita’s 45th Gustavus class reunion. The Andersons have six grandchildren and split their time between their cabin near Grand Rapids and their city home in New Brighton.

Sue Appelquist Jorgensen lives with husband, Frank ’61, on a farm near Dunnell. Sue reports 11 grandchildren, 7 in California, 2 in Wisconsin and 2 in Colorado. She intends to travel a lot!

Traveling is what Ginny Nelson Anderson and her husband, Ray, did for most of 2005. In fact they were gone from home eight out of twelve months. So, 2006 has been a “stay at home, take care of business” year. And, indeed, there is business to take care of. Ray and Ginny are putting their house up for sale after 43 years in one place! Getting it ready and sorting out possessions for a big sale is a huge job. Then Ginny writes about their day to day life which she says is not impressively exciting, but good! Here’s a sample: “Janesville Area Retired Educators (hospitality chair), Homemakers (secretary); Good Fellowship Group (treasurer), Mary Circle (Bible study leader), delivering meals on wheels; attending a variety of concerts, plays and dinners―and our favorite, spending time with friends and entertaining out-of-town visitors.” Well, Ginny―it’s a busy life to be sure and a good life. Congratulations. The Andersons will be moving into an independent apartment in a retirement complex.

Al and Carole Anne (Magnuson ’61) Moberg are still busy at their photography studio. Both of their children live in the Tampa area…Carole has cut back her work at the studio to one day a week, making it possible to spend time with the newest grandchild.

Paul Tidemann had his 25th anniversary as pastor of St. Paul Reformation Church. However, the big news is that he has announced his retirement for December of this year! Paul still plays French horn in the Northeast Orchestra in Fridley. He has been treasurer of the Cammack Marshall Fund that provides special services for child wards of the state in Ramsey County. Janet (Ryan ’63) continues to do part-time visitation pastoral work at Our Saviour’s in Minneapolis.

Last May, Nancy Benson Griffith, wrote this note: “We retired and moved to Lake Andrew (north of Willmar) in 1999. We have four wonderful grandchildren, ages 8, 6, 5 and 2. The team, “Granny G,” will, once again, take part in the Race for the Cure on Mother’s Day at the Mall of America. Then we will gather at our daughter’s home for a party to celebrate my 7.5 years as a breast cancer survivor. Life is Good!” We are happy to get a note like that! Congratulations!

John Bergstrom is a retired physician, doing some consulting in medical education, administration and examination. He is “pondering” work overseas, meanwhile enjoying travel, golf, volunteer work with a local arts center. John is writing, “sporadically and without great purpose!” Dennis Johnson responds, “John, I think writing, with or without great purpose is a wonderful vocation, something that I have been doing more and more of. And I achieved two writing milestones this year. One is the publication of my book on growing up in small town Iowa, living above a grocery store. I have titled it, “Main Street Memories.” It is a book I wrote for my grandchildren and the rest of the family. Seems to me I recall Bob Eidsvold reporting having written a similar memoir. It is something I would encourage anyone who has the inclination to do. The second milestone for me was to attend the Iowa Writer’s Workshop Festival last summer. It is something I have always wanted to do and found it rewarding. It was too late to help my first book, but I have more writing in mind!

Guest Writer Wanted:

Have you been wondering how you could get an invitation to write a class letter? If so, it is simple. Email me at djohnso4@gustavus.edu and I will give you the opportunity. No prior experience necessary. The “guest letter” is due in January and the alumni office will send you the class news to compile, then you get to add what you know about classmates and the alumni office will fill in with news from campus.

So, how did our class do in the annual giving department which ended last May 31? I knew you were dying to know! We had 9 more donors this year than last year! That is 68.6% of our classmates, second among our decade only to the 50 year anniversary class. So, the 153 donors gave nearly $50,000 which was down by about $18,000 from last year. The difference is in the category of “special gifts” given by classmates, in other words some large gifts came for special projects. I ended my last class latter with a list of classmates who had given to the fund―sort of a motivator to get gifts in. Now, I want to thank each by listing all givers last year. Here they are:

Diane Fahlberg Anderson

Jim Anderson

Marilyn Wiklund Anderson

Mark Anderson

Marshall Anderson

Norma Urbach Anderson

Roger Anderson

Virginia Nelson Anderson

Ann Muesing Behning

Bob Bellig

Tucki Lund Bellig

John Bergstrom

Lorna Chumley Berlin

Pete Boman

Edward Bonderson

Daniel Buendorf

Arlan Burmeister

Judy Sand Burmeister

Jule Carlson Cameron

Dave Carlson

Joe Carlson

Stephen Carlson

Paul Chell

Carol Nelson Coburn

Margo Pinney Cotton

Yvonne Harvey Daily

Ruth Ann Shervheim Danger

Karen Carlson Danielson

Eileen Johnson Delk

Terry Denley

Ruth Walfrid Dettor

Ross Dickie

Jim Diede

Jim Donicht

Barbara Seastrand Eder

Dave Ehline

Marilyn Hansen Ehline

Bob Eidsvold

Jan Jensen Eilers

Lowell Ek

Ruth Grandstrand Engdahl

Linda Pierson Engebretson

Bob Engstrom

Louise Eckman Engstrom

Dewey Erickson

Sandy Erickson

Bob Fenske

David Folkerds

Marlyn Windedahl Franzen

Marilyn Hallberg Gaffin

Nancy Dege Gerhard

Jackie McKenna Gimse

Luther Granquist

Elaine Ruesch Greiner

Marge Lind Halvorson

Melvyn Hammarberg

Rollie Hanks

Barb Nordstrom Hanson

Fred Hanson

Don Hautala

Janice Person Helgerson

By Helgeson

LaVonne Risty Herbert

Dana Knobel Hesser

Dorothy Lind Hiebert

Sonja Alvheim Hirsch

Kathleen Tuominen Holmes

Richard Hostin

Arne Johnson

Charley Johnson

Dennis Johnson

Dick Johnson

Helen Hannover Johnson

Lois Swanson Johnson

Orpah Jungclaus Johnson

Suzanne Wasgatt Johnson

Sue Appelquist Jorgensen

John Karrow

Darwin Knochenmus

Jean Knutson

Rosemarie Anderson Kohler

Rob Krause

Carolyn Kron

Bob Krough

James Krueger

Carolyn Anderson Kvam-Hansman

Ann Goodwin LaVoy

Karen Dahlberg Landro

Don Lind

George Lindahl

Sandra Idstrom Lindberg

Dick Loomer

Max Lundgren

Nathan Lundgren

Nguyen Luyen

Sharon Schultz Magnuson

Linda Cole McChane

Marian Nelson McCollum

Clay McCoy

Joanne Hedlof Merta

Donna Freeberg Mertens

Lois Lindall Miller

Martha Jonson Miller

Sue Myers Milton

Allan Moberg

Bev Lingwall Mooney

Dee Anne Nygren Najjar

Lois Anderson Nelson

William Nordstrom

Bob Nybo

Karen Schendel Nybo

Peter Nyhus

James Olson

Karen Olson

Ray Olson

Roger Oster

John Petersen

Owen Peterson

Marge Day Philipson

Sally Henderson Provenzano

Andrea Noren Rogers

Fred Rogers

Harlan Sandberg

Charlotte Benjamin Schoen

John Schroeppel

Paul Serenius

Marcia Johnson Shaw

David Silseth

Lois Sundberg Smedstad

Charles Smith

Steve Smith

John Soll

Peter Strand

Jean Hilding Stuart

Dick Sundberg

David Swanson

Mary McCreery Teppen

Jerry Thrall

Paul Tidemann

Jo Jensen Tollefson

Carol Schumacher Vamvakias

Martha Larson Warehime

Tom Weston

Patricia Skalbeck Wharton

Carol Berg White

Anne Kilty Wiberg

Joel Wiberg

Nancy Anderson Wiberg

Glen Wilson

Wayne Wirkkula

David Wold

Muriel Woods

Dallas Young

Jeanette Flury Ziegler

Now, of course, we are saying “Let’s hear it for the Alumni Fund for 2006-2007.

Campus News:

Honor Roll of Donors

If you haven’t had a chance to find yourself online, please go to: gustavus.edu/giving/honorroll to check out the 2005-2006 Honor Roll of Donors. The Honor Roll of Donors recognizes those who made gifts to Gustavus between June 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006. To find your name or check your class results, just point and click from your home or office computer. For those who do not have access to a computer, you may call toll-free 866/487-3863 to receive a copy in the mail (supplies are limited).

Omega Kappa Fraternity Celebrates 100 Years

The OKs will celebrate 100 years of Modesty, Diversity, and Brotherhood on Saturday, October 21, at the Science Museum on Minnesota in St. Paul. The evening will be filled with stories, photos, shared memories, artifacts, histories, and singing. For more information, go to gustavus.edu/alumni/reunion/OKS/.

Gustavus Alumni Professional Apparel

Check out the two new oxfords on sale online through the Gustavus Book Mark. The Book Mark is offering a women’s and men’s long sleeve shirt in a variety of colors and sizes. The shirt features an embroidered three crowns and Gustavus. A great idea for holiday shopping for your favorite Gustie. Check them out online only at www.bookmark.gustavus.edu/.

Gustavus Legacy Award for Gustavus Admission

Mark Anderson, Vice President of Admission and Student Financial Assistance, is pleased to announce the Gustavus Legacy Award for new students beginning with the incoming class of 2007. Renewable awards of $2,500 per year are given to new students whose siblings are current Gustavus students or graduates or whose parents or grandparents are Gustavus alumni. Scholarship recipients must have a high school grade point average of at least 3.5 or an ACT of 26 or an 1170 (Critical Reading + Math) on the SAT. For more information contact the Admission Office at 800/GUSTAVU(S) or email <admission@gustavus.edu>.